1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to golfing. In particular, the invention relates to a device for analyzing and developing skills of a player. The invention also concerns a method for analyzing the performance of the player during training or playing.
2. Description of Related Art
Golf is based on one's ability to predict the trajectory of a ball in response to a certain combination of swing and club. Swings of golfers are traditionally analyzed either by naked eye during the hit or by recording the swings using video equipment and analyzing them afterwards. In both cases, for a proper analysis of the pros and cons of the swing, a professional golf trainer is usually needed. Naked-eye and video-based evaluation of swings suits well for discerning major faults in, for example, the stance and alignment of the golfer and the movement of the body of the golfer during the swing. The results of such evaluation are also highly subjective and reflect the view of the person watching the swing, typically a golf trainer. For a golf trainee, it may be frustrating if several professional have different, probably opposing, views of the pros and cons of his or her shots. What is difficult to exactly evaluate by visual observation of the golfer, is the temporal progression of the swing and especially the similarity of two or more swings. In addition, hiring of a personal trainer having a suitable video equipment is very expensive, and the video equipment is difficult to carry.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,769 discloses a swing analyzing system comprising an instrumented golf club including a plurality of sensors, an internal power supply, an angular rate sensor and an internal ring buffer memory for capturing data relating to a golf swing. The swings are analyzed one-by-one for assisting a golfer's swing, or for designing an appropriate golf club for a specific type of golfer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,086 discloses a device for measuring the speed of swing of a movable object, such as a baseball bat or golf club. Part of the device is embedded, secured, or attached to the projectile or movable object of interest, and consists of an acceleration sensor, threshold circuit, and a radio transmitter.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,183 a velocity monitoring system for golf clubs is described. The monitor is preferably detachably securable to the golfer's hands or a golf glove. An inferential determination of club head velocity may be made by using an accelerometer disposed in the monitor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,544 describes a swing analyzing device comprising swing practice equipment such as a golf club having acceleration sensors attached all over the club for analyzing the movements of the club with good precision during a swing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,850 discloses a golf swing evaluation system including a golf club containing a sensor and an associated display for indicating the force and location of the impact of the club head against a golf ball.
The prior art devices make mostly use of acceleration sensors disposed in the golf club. However, such solutions usually change the properties of the club, whereby the measurement results may be unreliable. Moreover, in the above-mentioned devices, the analysis is based on monitoring swings one-by-one. They are well suited for practicing or improving technicalities of the swing. In monitoring the swing as a whole, or increasing or analyzing the attained muscle memory needed in golf, the present solutions are more unfavorable. Golf swing is a pendulum motion, not just hitting a ball with a club. A good swing is a combination of many factors, such as a right stance of the player, good balance throughout the swing, correct spatial course of the club and feasible temporal development of the swing. In order to reduce the number of shots required, the swing of the golfer has to be very constant and regular. If one or some of the preceding factors, for example, are irregular, the whole swing, and ultimately the flight path of the ball becomes unpredictable.
There are no known devices or methods which can be used for automatically and objectively analyzing the swing of a golfer in order to assist the golfer to improve his or her skills as a golf player.